Light socket



June 30, 1964 BALDO 5, 3,139,315

LIGHT SOCKET Filed May 9, 1962 2 She etsSheet 2 FIG. 6. v J4 12 FIG. 8.

4&4 404 W Z, we 34 9 9 Z A I 1 2a FIG. IO.

INVENTOR. 1. 0/5 8A 1. D0 8.

BY m i g/ v 977' ORNE' 75 United States Patent 3,139,315 LIGHT SOCKETLuis Baldo S., Edificio Ease, Oiicina -13, Ave. FCO Nliranda, Chacaito,Caracas, Venezuela Filed May 9, 1962, Ser. No. 193,411 4 Claims. (Cl.339-99).

The present invention relates generally to mechanisms for makingelectrical contact to a pair of insulated wires and specifically relatesto an improved light socket which may be quickly and simply mounted on apair of parallel insulated wires and then, at a later time, simplyremoved therefrom.

It is generally desirable to provide electrical fixtures which may besimply and securely connected, by hand and without the use of tools, toa pair of insulated wires for electrical and mechanical connectionthereto. The standard method for applying an electrical connector, suchas a plug, a plug receptacle or a light socket, to a pair of parallelwires requires that the insulation be stripped from the Wires. Theconnector is then secured to the wire by means of screws or the like andan insulating cover is applied over the bare Wire and the screws.

In order to simplify the connection of such devices to insulated Wire,there have been provided a number of different mechanisms wherebypronged elements are included within the connector in order to piercethrough the insulation and to make electrical contact with the conductorof the wire. Although such devices provide far more simple securementarrangements than were known in the past, there remains a substantialneed for improvement. Specifically, many of these devices are relativelyundependable in their operation and fail to make firm electrical contactbetween the conductive element of the wire and the piercing elements ofthe connector. Still further, many of these connectors are cumbersomeand difiicult to use due to the construction features employed. It is,of course, desirable to utilize a single and simple movement in order toeffect the required connection to a pair of parallel wires. Conversely,it is undesirable to require the user of such a device to screw down aprotective cap through many turns, to take the device apart in order toactuate the internal piercing members, or generally, to go through anycomplicated process in order to effect the purpose of the device.

Generally, it is an object of the present invention to provide anelectrical connector mechanism of improved characteristics for simpleand dependable electrical and mechanical connection to a pair ofparallel insulated wires. Specifically, it is an object of the presentinvention to provide a light socket for securement to a pair ofinsulated wires utilizing a simple one-quarter turn to effect thedesired connection.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide asimple attachable and detachable light socket constructed of relativelyfew individual parts.

In accordance with one illustrative embodiment of the present invention,there is provided a light socket comprising a body and a rotatablecamming member mounted on said body. The body includes, at its lowerend, receiving and conducting means for accepting the base of anincandescent electrical bulb. Alternatively, other electrical connectionmeans may be provided instead of a light bulb socket. is formed twowire-receiving channels on opposite sides of the body. Wire piercingmeans are rigidly mounted in the body and are positioned within thechannels and are electrically connected to the receiving and conductingmeans. The wire piercing means include a plurality of metal prongsplaced along'the circumference of a circle about the axis of a lightsocket extending upwardly and At the upper end of the body, therePatented June 30, 1964 Ice inwardly into said channels. The cammingmember is mounted on the upper end of the body for rotation with respectthereto by means of an integral split shaft and retaining knob andextends between the wire-receiving channels and between the piercingmeans. Pairs of cams are provided at the opposite ends of the cammingmember. One of each pairs of cams is developed for camming actionaxially and downwardly of the light socket and the other cam of eachpair being developed for camming action radially and outwardly of thelight socket body. The cams are positioned such that they interact withand enter into the two wire-receiving channels when the camming memberis rotated with respect to the light socket body. One of each of saidpair of cams is effective to force a wire firmly down within thewire-receiving channel while the other cam is effective to force thewire radially outwardly for camming the wire downwardly and outwardlyonto the upwardly and inwardly extending metal prongs of the wirepiercing means in order to make electrical contact with the conductingmeans at the core of the wire.

The above brief description as well as further objects, features andadvantages of the present inventionwill be best appreciated by referenceto the following detailed description of one presently preferredembodiment of the invention when taken in conjunction withtheaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a light socket according to the presentinvention with a pair of parallel, insulated wires received within thelight socket prior to the actuation of the camming or locking member formaking electrical contact;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, however, showing the camming devicein its locked position with the light socket mechanically andelectrically connected to the pair of wires;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the line 44 of FIG. 1 and looking inthe direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 4 looking inthe direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to that of FIG. 4 showing therotatable camming or locking member in an intermediate position duringthe locking procedure of the light socket;

FIG. 7 is a sectional View along the line 77 of FIG. 6 looking in thedirection of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 6 illustrating the cammingmember in its locked position with the insulated wires pierced by and inelectrical contact with the piercing elements;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line 99 of FIG. 8 and lookingin the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the camming member incorporated in thelight socket according to the present invention illustrating the radialand axial camming surfaces.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, there is shown a lightsocket, generally designated by the numeral 10, which may be simply andsecurely attached to a pair of parallel insulated wires and thereaftersimplyvremoved from the wires without any resulting damage to theinsulation. The light socket 10 consists of two conductive elements andtwo non-conductive elements (although other embodiments of the presentinvention may be manufactured utilizing a greater number of individualpieces). The light socket 10 includes as one of its basic structuralunits, a generally cylindrical body 12. The body 12 is formed at itslower end with a bulb receiving opening 14 and is provided at its.

upper end with a pair of wire-receiving channels 16, 18. Thewire-receiving channels are formed by the upwardly extending portions20, 22 of the body 12. Intermediate theends of the body 12, there isprovided a structural center portion 24 which is utilized for thesecurement of the remaining elements of the light socket 12.

A pair of bulband wire-contacting members 26, 28 are mounted within thebody 12. In this illustrative embodiment, the member 26 provides acentral contact 30 for a bulb received within the opening 14 and member28 provides a threaded sleeve 32 for contact with the complementarythreads on an incandescent light bulb. Alternatively, the members 26, 28may form other types of point contacts for cooperation with the variousother types of contact arrangements found on incandescent bulbs. Thebulband wire-contacting members 26, 28 are conveniently secured withinthe body 12 of the light socket at the structural portion 24 of thebody. In the presently disclosed embodiment, the members 26, 28 aremolded directly into the body 12, however, other securernent means willbe readily apparent to those skilledin the art.

Extending upwardly from the level of the top of the structural portion24 are a plurality of pointed prongs 34. These prongs are integralportions of the members 26, 28 and extend upwardly and inwardly withinthe wire channels 16, 18. It will be appreciated that wires placedwithin the channels 16, 18 and pressed downwardly and outwardly onto theupwardly and inwardly extending pointed prongs 34, will be forced intoelectrical contact with the members 26, 28 and thereby into electricalcontact with a bulb positioned within the bulb receiving opening 14. Acamming member, generally designated by the numeral 36, is provided toperform the functions of pressing wires outwardly and downwardly ontothe pointed prongs. The cammingmember 36 constitutes the fourth andfinal element of the light socket 10 according to the present invention.

The camming member 36, as seen in perspective view in FIG. 10, comprisesa handle portion 38 at its upper end, a camming portion 46 intermediateits ends, and mounting means 42 at its lower end comprising a splitshaft and retaining knob. The camming member 36 is mounted axially onthe light socket 10 by means of the interengagement of the split shaftand knob 42 with a central axial opening 44 formed in the structuralportion 24. As may be best seen in FIG. 10, the shaft and knob 42includes a cylindrical shaft 42a which extends downwardly from thecamming section 40 and which terminates at a knob portion formed of fourseparate knob elements 42b, 42c, 42d, and 42a- It will be appreciatedthat the diameter of the shaft 42a is such that it is intimatelyreceived within the opening 44 of the body 12 and that the diameter ofthe knob portion 421'), 2c, 42dand 42c normally is greater than thediameter of the shaft but that it can be pressed to equal the diameterof the shaft 42a for purposes of assembly. The camming member 36 isassembled with the body 10 by pressing same downwardly against theopening 44 such that the individual portions 42b, 42c, 42d, and 42s arecammed inwardly reducing the overall diameter of the knob such that themember 42 passes through the hole 44. As may be best seen in FIGS. 4, 6and 7, a recessed opening 46 is provided below the opening 44 to receivethe expanded knob members 4217, 42c, 42d and 42e. The mounting means 42efi'ectively mounts the camming member 36 between the wire-receivingchannels 16, 18 at the upper end of the body 12 and provides for therotation of the camming member 36 about the central axis of the body 12.

As may be best seen in FIGS. through 9 and 10,

the camming portion 40 of the camming member 36 includes two pairs ofcams at opposite sides of the camming member. For the sake of clarity inpresentation,

only one pair of cams will be described. A first cam, labeled 4i)R, is aradial cam which is eifective, as de scribed below, to cam a wirecontained within the chan nels 16, 18 radially outwardly into engagementwith the prongs 34. A'secon'd cam, labeled 4iiA, is an axial cam whichis effective, as will be described be low, to force a Wire Within thechannel 16, 18 downwardly into contact with the prongs 34. It will beappreciated that the two cams 40-A and 40-R may be replaced with asingle three-dimensional cam for producing the same result.

A fuller understanding of the construction and operation of the cammingmember 36 in relation to the body 12 of the light socket will beobtained by considering the drawings of FIGS 5 through 9 and thefollowing description of the operation of the light socket 10. In orderto attach the light socket 10. mechanically and electrically to a pairof wires, such as the Wires W illus trated in the drawings, theindividual insulated wires are placed about the camming or lockingmember 36 when that member is rotated into the un-locked position asshown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5 and into the wirereceiving channels 15, 18.'As the camming member 36 is rotated, by a person grasping the handleportion 38, each of the cams 40-A and 4tl-R of the pairs of cams onopposite ends of the camming member 36 respectively engage the wires W.Since the camming portion 49 of the camming member 36 is longer in onedirection than in the perpendicular direction, as the camming member 36is rotated from the position shown in FIG. 5 to the position shown inFIG. 7 (in the direction of the arrow of FIG. 7), the cams 4i)-R willbegin to force the wires W outwardly into engagement with the prongs 34.At the same time, the axial cams 4ti-A will force the wires W downwardlyinto engagement with the prongs 34 and against the top wall of thestructural section 24. The combined activity of the two pairs of cams40-A and 40R will effectively force the wires W downwardly and outwardlyinto the corners formed between the upstanding bosses 20, 22 and the topsurface of the structural portion 24 of the body 12. As the wires W arecammed downwardly and outwardly by the camming portion 40, the upwardlyand inwardly extending pointed prongs 34 will pierce their way throughthe insulation and into contact with the metallic cores. As the cammingmember 36 is turned through a fullone-quarter turn into the lockedposition illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the wires W will be forcedagainst each of the pointed prongs 34 within each of the Wire-rcceivingchannels 16, 18 and the cams 4tl-A and 40-R will securely lock the wiresW in mechanical connection to the light socket 10.

The light socket 10 may be removed from the wires W simply by turningthe handle 38 of the camming member 36 through ninety degrees in eitherdirection. The sequence of events will be directly opposite to thatdescribed above and may be best appreciated by progressively reviewingFIGS. 8 and 9, 6 and 7, and 4 and 5.

Upon removal of the light socket 10 from a pair of parallel wires W, thesmall piercing points within the insulation of the wires close up suchthat the Wire may be reused without any deleterious efiect. A lightsocket 10 may be secured at one position along the length of the wireand utilized for any selective length of time at that location; It maybe then simply detached and transferred to another location as desiredby the user.

It will be appreciated that the present invention may be incorporated inconstructions other than light sockets.- For example, the body 12 asillustrated herein may terminate at its lower end in a male plug, a plugreceptacle or in a contact box rather than in a light bulb-receivingopening. Many other such embodiments will readily ocour to those skilledin the art.

The light socket illustrated and described above is merely illustrativeof the many embodiments which may incorporate the invention disclosedherein. Therefore, the following claims should be interpreted inaccordance with the scope of the present invention.

What I claim is:

1. A light socket for removable attachment to a pair of parallelinsulated wires comprising a body and a rotatable camming member, saidbody including receiving and conducting means at the lower end or" saidbody for accepting the base of an incandescent electric bulb and makingelectrical contact therewith, two wire-receiving channels formed onopposite sides of the upper end of said body, and wire piercing meanswithin said body at said wire-receiving channels formed on oppositesides of the upper end of said body, said wire piercing means beingelectrically connected to said receiving and conducting means, saidwire-piercing means including a plurality of metal prongs positioned atthe circumference of a circle about the axis of said body and extendingupwardly and inwardly into said channels, said camming member beingreceived on said body for rotation with respect thereto and mountedbetween said wire receiving channels and between said piercing means,said camming member having formed thereon two pairs of cams at oppositeends of said camming member, one of each of said pairs of cams developedfor camming action axially and downwardly of said light socket and theother. cam of each pair being developed for camming action radially andoutwardly of said light socket, said camming member and said pairs ofcams being positioned such that said pairs of cams interact with andenter said two channels respec tively when said camming member rotateswith respect to said body, one each of said cams camming wire withinsaid channels firmly down within said channels and the other cam cammingsaid wire radially outwardly onto said upwardly and inwardly extendingmetal prongs such that said prongs pierce the insulation of said wireand make electrical contact with said Wire.

2. A light socket for removable attachment to a pair of parallelinsulated wires comprising a body and a rotatable camming member, saidbody including receiving and conducting means at the lower end of saidbody for accepting the base of an incandescent electric bulb and makingelectrical contact therewith, two Wire-receiving channels formed onopposide sides of the upper end of said body, and wire piercing meanswithin said body at said wire-receiving channels electrically connectedto said twocontact receiving and conducting means, said wire-piercingmeans including a plurality of metal prongs positioned at thecircumference of a circle about the axis of said body and extendingupwardly and inwardly into said channels, said camming member having anintegral shaft and split retaining knob, a complementary opening formedaxially within said body for receiving said shaft, said opening and saidshaft mounting said camming member on said body for rotation withrespect thereto and between said Wire receiving channels and betweensaid piercing means, said camming member having formed thereon two pairsof cams at opposite ends of said camming member, one of each of saidpairs of cams developed for camming action axially and downwardly ofsaid light socket and the other cam of each pair being developed forcamming action radially and outwardly of said light socket, said cammingmember and said pairs of cams being positioned such that said pairs ofcams interact with and enter said two channels respectively when saidcamming member rotates with respect to said body, one each of said camscamming said wires within said channels firmly down within said channelsand the other cam camming said wires radially outwardly onto saidupwardly and inwardly extending metal prongs such that said prongspierce the insulation of said wire and make electrical contact with saidWire.

3. An electrical connector for removable attachment to a pair ofparallel insulated wires comprising a body and a rotatable cammingmember, said body including two electrical contacts at the lower end ofsaid body, two wire-receiving channels formed on opposite sides of theupper end of said body, and wire piercing means within said body at saidwire-receiving channels electrically connected to said two electricalcontacts, said wire-piercing means including a plurality of metal prongspositioned at the circumference of a circle about the axis of said bodyand extending upwardly and inwardly of said channels, said cammingmember being received on said body for rotation with respect thereto andmounted between said wire receiving channels and between said piercingmeans, said camming member having formed thereon two pairs of cams atopposite ends of said camming member, one of each of said pairs of camsdeveloped for camming action axially and downwardly of said body and theother cam of each pair being developed for camming action radially andoutwardly of said body, said camming member and said pairs of cams beingpositioned such that said pairs of cams interact with and enter said twochannels respectively when said camming member rotates with respect tosaid body, one each of said cams camming said wires within said channelsfirmly down within said channels and the other cam camming said wireradially outwardly onto said upwardly and inwardly extending metalprongs such that said prongs pierce the insulation of said wire and makeelectrical contact with said wire.

4. A light socket for removable attachment to a pair of parallelinsulated wires comprising a body and a rotatable camming member, saidbody including receiving and conducting means at the lower end of saidbody for accepting the base of an electric bulb and making electricalcontact therewith, two wire-receiving channels formed on opposite sidesof the upper end of said body, and wire piercing means within said bodyat said wire-receiving channels electrically connected to said receivingand conducting means, said wire-piercing means including a plurality ofmetal prongs positioned at the circumference of a circle about the axisof said body and extending upwardly and inclined radially into saidchannels, said cam ming member being received on said body for rotationwith respect thereto and mounted between said wire receiving channelsand between said piercing means, said camming member having formedthereon two pairs of cams at opposite ends of said camming member, oneof each of said pairs of cams developed for camming action axially anddownwardly of said light socket and the other cam of each pair beingdeveloped for camming action radially of said light socket, said cammingmember and said pairs of cams being positioned such that said pairs ofcams interact with and enter said two channels respectively when saidcamming member rotates with respect to said body, one each of said camscamming Wire within said channels firmly down within said channels andthe other cam camming said wire radially onto said metal prongs suchthat said prongs pierce the insulation of said wire and make electricalcontact with said wire.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,259,068 Johns Oct. 14, 1941 2,285,661 Hryzack June 9, 1942 2,465,700Tuttle Mar. 29, 1949 2,475,243 Irrgang July 5, 1949 2,869,101 BenanderJan. 13, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 148,725 Great Britain Aug. 5, 1920 70,573Norway June 24, 1946

3. AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR REMOVABLE ATTACHMENT TO A PAIR PARALLELINSULATED WIRES COMPRISING A BODY AND A ROTATABLE CAMMING MEMBER, SAIDBODY INCLUDING TWO ELECTRICAL CONTACT AT THE LOWER END OF SAID BODY, TWOWIRE-RECEIVING CHANNELS FROMED ON OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE UPPER END OF SAIDBODY, AND WIRE PIERCING MEANS WITHIN SAID BODY AT SAID WIRE-RECEIVINGCHANNELS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID TWO ELECTRICAL CONTACTS, SAIDWIRE-PIERCING MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF METAL PRONGS POSITIONED ATTHE CIRCUMFERENCE OF A CIRCLE ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID BODY AND EXTENDINGUPWARDLY AND INWARDLY OF SAID CHANNELS SAID CAMMING MEMBER BEINGRECEIVED ON SAID BODY FOR ROTATION WITH RESPECT THERETO AND MOUNTEDBETWEEN SAID WIRE RECEIVING CHANNELS AND BETWEEN SAID PIERCING MEANS,SAID CAMMING MEMBER HAVING FORMED THEREON TWO PAIRS OF CAMS AT OPPOSITEENDS OF SAID CAMMING MEMBER,